Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been hooked on adventure stories since I started reading. When I became serious about writing for young readers, I couldn’t resist creating fearless kids out to tackle. Indiana Jones-sized dangers. While I love writing these kinds of stories, I can’t resist reading them either. If there’s an added element of magic or sci-fi time-travel, I have to find out what happens and how. The most fun is to read these stories aloud to the young readers in my family in hopes they’ll also fall in love with adventure/fantasy—maybe one of them will even write a few of these books. That would be fabulous.


I wrote

Sign of the Green Dragon

By C. Lee McKenzie,

Book cover of Sign of the Green Dragon

What is my book about?

Three plucky sleuths. A crumbling skeleton. A buried treasure.

Sam’s the new kid at school with enough hitting talent to…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Lola Benko, Treasure Hunter

C. Lee McKenzie Why did I love this book?

I loved the young female Indiana Jones character in this book, and it’s a great read for adventure-seeking readers between eight and twelve whether they are boys or girls. The story is fast-paced and intriguing. I got caught up in this one and I’m not a middle-grade-age reader.

By Beth McMullen,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Lola Benko, Treasure Hunter as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 9, 10, 11, and 12.

What is this book about?

Indiana Jones meets The Lost Property Office in this action-packed mystery about a young girl searching for her father from the author of Mrs. Smith's Spy School for Girls-the first in a new series!

Having a world-traversing archaeologist dad means twelve-year-old Lola Benko is used to moving around and not putting down roots anywhere. But every day and every hunt for something hidden is an adventure, and no matter what, she and her dad are an unbeatable team.

Then her father disappears. The official story is that he was caught in a flash flood, but Lola's research shows the day…


Book cover of The Storm Runner

C. Lee McKenzie Why did I love this book?

This book is filled the Mayan mythology. I found that the magic was fascinating, and I couldn’t get enough of the monsters, gods, and giants. They make for an exciting read—even if you’re not a middle grader.

By J. C. Cervantes,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Storm Runner as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents J.C. Cervantes' take on Maya mythology featuring a boy who has to stop the god of death.

"A perfect storm of inspiring heroes, surprising twists, and some seriously scary monsters. This hilarious, expertly-plotted adventure keeps you racing through the pages and leaves you desperate for the next book (and craving a steaming mug of hot chocolate)!" --Shannon Messenger, New York Times best-selling author of the Keeper of the Lost Cities series and the Sky Fall series

Zane has always enjoyed exploring the dormant volcano near his home in New Mexico, even though hiking it is…


Book cover of Aru Shah and the End of Time

C. Lee McKenzie Why did I love this book?

I could so relate to Aru Shah, the main character in this book, who makes up stories so she can fit into the crowd at school. I could even relate to the fact that her “fibs” don’t work out very well for her. When she makes a vow never to lie again if only she can get out of her current mess, she opens a much bigger one. So relatable! Suddenly, she’s pitted against a demon, and I had to read until I found out if she succeeded in freeing her friends and her mother.

By Roshani Chokshi,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Aru Shah and the End of Time as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

Best-selling author Rick Riordan introduces this fantasy adventure by New York Times best-selling author, Roshani Chokshi, inspired by the great epics she grew up on.

Named one of 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time by Time magazine!

Twelve-year-old Aru Shah has a tendency to stretch the truth in order to fit in at school. While her classmates are jetting off to family vacations in exotic locales, she'll be spending her autumn break at home, in the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture, waiting for her mom to return from her latest archeological trip. Is it any wonder that…


Book cover of Maya and the Rising Dark

C. Lee McKenzie Why did I love this book?

I enjoyed this contemporary fantasy about a young girl caught between worlds who—to her shock—discovers her father is really super-human. It was fun to see how after suddenly being charged with the task of saving the human race, she accepts the challenge. The ticking clock in the story was humorous, but created enough tension to keep me reading.

By Rena Barron,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Maya and the Rising Dark as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

In this highly anticipated contemporary fantasy, twelve-year-old Maya's search for her missing father puts her at the center of a battle between our world, the Orishas, and the mysterious and sinister Dark world. Perfect for fans of Aru Shah and the End of Time and The Serpent's Secret.

Twelve-year-old Maya is the only one in her South Side Chicago neighborhood who witnesses weird occurrences like werehyenas stalking the streets at night and a scary man made of shadows plaguing her dreams. Her friends try to find an explanation-perhaps a ghost uprising or a lunchroom experiment gone awry. But to Maya,…


Book cover of The Detective's Assistant

C. Lee McKenzie Why did I love this book?

I love to read historical fiction, and this book is based on a true story about a female detective of the Civil War era. That also caught my interest. I didn’t even know there were female detectives at this time. The story traces eleven-year-old Neil Warne’s adventures of uncovering her true past and solving mysteries. It’s all about daring to do dangerous things, including saving Abraham Lincoln. 

By Kate Hannigan,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Detective's Assistant as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 9, 10, 11, and 12.

What is this book about?

Eleven-year-old Nell Warne arrives on her aunt's doorstep lugging a heavy sack of sorrows. If her Aunt Kate rejects her, it's the miserable Home for the Friendless.

Luckily, canny Nell makes herself indispensable to Aunt Kate...and not just by helping out with household chores. For Aunt Kate is the first-ever female detective employed by the legendary Pinkerton Detective Agency. And Nell has a knack for the kind of close listening and bold action that made Pinkerton detectives famous in Civil War-era America. With huge, nation-changing events simmering in the background, Nell uses skills new and old to uncover truths about…


Explore my book 😀

Sign of the Green Dragon

By C. Lee McKenzie,

Book cover of Sign of the Green Dragon

What is my book about?

Three plucky sleuths. A crumbling skeleton. A buried treasure.

Sam’s the new kid at school with enough hitting talent to bring the baseball trophy back to Haggarty Elementary. But Sam’s guardian is shipping him off to boarding school. When his teammates, Joey and Roger, hear his bad news, they plot to hide him until the big game. Their secret cave is a perfect place, but an earthquake shatters a wall and reveals a wooden chest with a red-eyed dragon carved into the top. Inside, a crumbling skeleton clutches a map with a cryptic note, promising treasure if the finder reveals the truth about an old murder and returns the remains of the victim to China. Is the note a hoax? Maybe.

Book cover of Lola Benko, Treasure Hunter
Book cover of The Storm Runner
Book cover of Aru Shah and the End of Time

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Beyond the Cemetery Gate: The Secret Keeper's Daughter

By Valerie Biel,

Book cover of Beyond the Cemetery Gate: The Secret Keeper's Daughter

Valerie Biel Author Of Beyond the Cemetery Gate: The Secret Keeper's Daughter

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Valerie's 3 favorite reads in 2024

What is my book about?

"A haunting YA mystery. Touching on everything from police ineptitude and community solidarity to the endless frustration of being patronized as a young person, this paranormal thriller confidently combines timely and relatable themes within a page-turning storyline." - Self-Publishing Review

"Biel's writing is fast-paced and sharp!" - author Christy Wopat

When the police rule her dad’s death an accidental overdose, 16-year-old Chloe refuses to believe it and vows to find his killer. Alone against a potentially corrupt, small-town police force, a persistent social worker seeking proof that she has adult supervision, and precariously low funds, Chloe learns that her dad’s…

Beyond the Cemetery Gate: The Secret Keeper's Daughter

By Valerie Biel,

What is this book about?

“This taut, suspenseful mystery goes beyond the cemetery gate and settles, creaking, into our very bones.” – Silvia Acevedo, author of the award-winning God Awful series.

When the police rule her dad’s death an accidental overdose, 16-year-old Chloe refuses to believe it and vows to find his killer. Alone against a potentially corrupt, small-town police force, a persistent social worker seeking proof that she has adult supervision, and precariously low funds, Chloe learns that her dad’s life as a cemetery caretaker masked a web of family secrets that quite possibly led to his death—and are now putting her in mortal…


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